[Dr. Aaron Lerner - IMRA:

Read the description of how UNIFIL has miserably failed to do its job -
followed at the end by words of thanks.]

UNIFIL Mandate Renewal - Statement to UN Security Council by Amb Haim Waxman

30 Aug 2011 MFA
While Israel is committed to cooperating with the United Nations to ensure
the full implementation of resolution 1701, serious threats to peace and
security in Lebanon stand in the way of fully implementing this resolution.

Thank you, Mr. President. Allow me to commend you for your able stewardship
of the Security Council this month.

I would like to begin by offering Israel's condolences to all of those
affected by the appalling attacks on UN Headquarters in Abuja, Nigeria last
week.

Israel welcomes the adoption of today's resolution and the renewal of
UNIFIL's mandate. UNIFIL plays a vital role in promoting stability in our
region. I would like to convey Israel's appreciation to the UNIFIL troops,
their commanders, the troop contributing countries, and the Department of
Peacekeeping Operations. Israel is committed to cooperating with the United
Nations to ensure the full implementation of resolution 1701.

Yet, as we convene here today, serious threats to peace and security in
Lebanon stand in the way of fully implementing this resolution. I would like
to highlight four of these challenges this morning.

First, Hizbullah continues to rapidly build up its arsenal of advanced
weaponry - and expand its military presence throughout Lebanon, including
south of the Litani River. Tens of thousands of sophisticated missiles and
rockets are now in the hands of this terrorist organization. Its growing
arsenal places the majority of Israeli civilians under the specter of
attack.

Hizbullah seeks to acquire even more advanced weapons through joint and
coordinated transfers of illegal arms supplied by Iran and directly
facilitated by Syria across the Syrian-Lebanese border.

The United Nations and others in the international community are aware of
the scope and magnitude of these transfers. Yet, the existing arms embargo
has not been enforced - and there has been a lack of progress in the
disarmament and disbandment of Hizbullah and other militias, as is mandated
by Security Council resolutions. Israel views this stagnation with great
concern.

Mr. President,

Israel's second issue of concern relates to the cynical Hizbullah tactics
that use Lebanese civilians to further their terrorist activity targeting
Israeli civilians. Since the deployment of UNIFIL forces in 2006,
Hizbullah's modus operandi has shifted towards intentionally embedding its
military infrastructure within civilian villages and residential areas.
These deployments are occurring in UNIFIL's area of operations and
throughout other densely populated areas of Lebanon. Hizbullah terrorist
bases, firing positions and missile storage centers are located adjacent
to - and sometimes within - schools, hospitals, homes and mosques.

Such exploitation of civilians as human shields stands in grave violation of
international law. On numerous occasions, Israel has provided the
international community with detailed information about these violations.
Yet, they continue.

More concerted efforts must be made to fully implement paragraph 8 of
today's resolution, which calls on all states to, (and I quote) "fully
support and respect the establishment between the Blue Line and the Litani
River of an area free of any armed personnel, assets and weapons other than
those of the Government of Lebanon and UNIFIL."

The Lebanese Authorities bear particular responsibility for putting an end
to these serial violations of resolution 1701.

Mr. President,

Thirdly, Israel remains concerned by the violence directed at UNIFIL - and
Hizbullah's continued attempts to obstruct the movement and work of the
force. From the periodic 1701 reports, it is clear that Hizbullah has long
used so-called civilians to impede UNIFIL's ability to operate. It employs a
range of tactics, including throwing stones, threatening the force with
weapons and confiscating equipment. The recent terrorist attacks against
UNIFIL on May 27th and July 26th marked a serious escalation in the violence
directed at the force - and should be taken very seriously.

The United Nations and the international community cannot stand by as
Hizbullah continues to obstruct UNIFIL's work. While Hizbullah's
fingerprints are all over these clear obstructions, its name is hardly ever
mentioned in UN reports. The international community must also ensure that
the force has the tools and soldiers necessary to carry out its mandate
effectively.

Mr. President,

Finally, despite its obligations under Resolution 1701, the Government of
Lebanon continues to take provocative actions along the Blue Line. On August
1st, a soldier from the Lebanese Armed Forces fired on Israeli Defense
Forces situated south of the Blue Line. This was not isolated incident - and
it was only by chance that this event did not result in casualties. Let me
remind this Council that on 3 August 2010, in a similar incident, the LAF
shot and killed reservist IDF Battalion Commander Lieutenant Colonel Dov
Harari.

We expect the Government of Lebanon to prevent these incidents from
reoccurring in the future. The international community must also take action
to prevent further provocations - and convey a clear message to Lebanon that
such attacks carry serious potential for escalation.

As such, Israel welcomes the call, once again, in today's resolution for all
parties to respect the Blue Line in its entirety - and will continue to work
with UNIFIL to visibly mark the Blue Line in its entirety. These efforts are
integral to ensuring regional stability - and we call on Lebanon to uphold
its clear international obligations in this regard.

Mr. President,

The presence of UNIFIL in southern Lebanon serves an indispensable role in
advancing stability in our area. In conclusion, I wish to reiterate our
support for today's resolution, to extend our deep appreciation to all troop
contributing countries, and to emphasize our sincere gratitude to the men
and women of UNIFIL - who are performing a difficult task in a difficult
environment to promote peace and security for all in our region.

Thank you.